horns were full-grown, but still "in the velvet," and as he ran with his
snout thrown forward, his antlers lay along both sides of his neck until
their tips touched his shoulders. He continued on in a direct line
until he was within less than an hundred paces of the camp; but,
perceiving the smoke of the fire, and the figures crouching around it,
he swerved suddenly from his course, and darted into the thicket of
willows, where he was for the moment hidden from view. The wolves--
fifty of them at least--had followed him up to this point; and as he
entered the thicket several had been close upon his heels. The boys
expected to see the wolves rush in after him--as there appeared to be no
impediment to their doing so--but, to the astonishment of all, the
latter came to a sudden halt, and then went sneaking back--some of them
even running off as if terrified! At first the hunters attributed this
strange conduct to their own presence, and the smoke of the camp; but a
moment's reflection convinced them that this could not be the reason of
it, as they were all well acquainted with the nature of the prairie
wolf, and had never witnessed a similar exhibition before.

They had no time to think of the wolves just then. The buck was the
main attraction, and, calling to each other to surround the thicket, all
four started in different directions. In a couple of minutes they had
placed themselves at nearly equal distances around the copse, and stood
watching eagerly for the reappearance of the wapiti.

The willows covered about an acre of ground, but they were tolerably
thick and full-leaved, and the buck could not be seen from any side.
Wherever he was, he was evidently at a standstill, for not a rustle
could be heard among the leaves, nor were any of the tall stalks seen to
move.

Marengo was now sent in. This would soon start him, and all four stood
with guns cocked and ready. But before the dog had made three lengths
of himself into the thicket, a loud snort was heard, followed by a
struggle and the stamping of hoofs, and the next moment the wapiti came
crashing through the bushes. A shot was fired--it was the crack of
Lucien's small rifle--but it had missed, for the buck was seen passing
onward and outward. All ran round to the side he had taken, and had a
full view of the animal as he bounded off. Instead of running free as
before, he now leaped heavily forward, and what was their astonishment
on seeing that he _